Cities and towns

The three capitals of the Caucasus could not be more different, and that is the point. Tbilisi is charming disorder: wooden balconies on the verge of collapse, sulphur baths under brick domes and a nightlife that surprises everyone. Yerevan is pink — literally, thanks to the volcanic tuff of its façades — orderly and full of cafés with Mount Ararat on the horizon. Baku is a stage set of three eras: medieval walls, boulevards from the first oil boom and futuristic towers of glass and titanium.

But this section goes beyond the capitals. Here are the second cities almost nobody visits and almost everybody should: Kutaisi and its markets, Gyumri and its artisan quarter, Sheki among silk mountains, Signagi overlooking the Kakheti vineyards. And the villages: Svaneti hamlets crowned with defensive towers, Lahic and its coppersmiths, Dilijan deep in the forest.

Each guide covers what to see, how long to stay and how to fit the city into a wider route — the same cities our Caucasus tours travel through.